Obnox

***That we’re nearly midway thru 2017 and some segment of the allegedly savvy music world has either slept on Cleveland’s LAMONT (BIM) THOMAS aka OBNOX or continues to damn him with some faint “prolific garage rocker” praise is nothing sort of criminal. OK, not WAR CRIMINAL, but certainly a brand of cultural c(r)ock blockery that neither historians or your kids will look kindly upon. Niggative Approach—a knowing nod to Ann Arbor’s other N.A. (with an opening cameo from JOHN BRANNON) is the 7th album in Bim's astonishing unbeaten streak that began with 2011’s I’m Bleeding Now and shows no immediate sign of ending. While Thomas’ past genre-defying works have brazenly taken a torch to such record store bin cards as “punk”, “psych”, “hip hop”, “funk”, “new arrivals” and “MISC. O”, Niggative Approach is his most bold, fully realized statement to date. There’s no one in what’s left of the underground with a sharper take on the ties that bind these genres, and no eyewitness to the nation-going-to-shit as quick to stand up and throw down than Obnox. If you wanna settle for half steps, by all means, be our guest, but Niggative Approach shouldn’t merely challenge you to imagine the possibilities, but maybe dare you to get your hands dirty in making them happen.